Skin is continuously subjected to extremes of environmental stress and air pollution. Such insults can bring about generation of free radicals in skin which are a significant contributor to skin cell damage, premature aging of skin, skin cancer and the like. These free radicals are produced naturally in the body by such means as metabolic processes, lifestyle excesses, for example, such as exercise and the like as well as through exposure to environmental insults including ozone, heavy metals, halogenated hydrocarbons, ionization radiation and cigarette smoke.
It is generally accepted that materials having an antioxidant effect play a significant role against free radical induced skin damage. Key among these antioxidants are compounds commonly referred to as vitamins, particularly vitamins E, A and C. Since the human body is unable to synthesize its own Vitamin E it must be provided by extraneous sources, such as food and supplements. Recently, there have been attempts to deliver the vitamins to the skin from various skin cleansing and treatment compositions.
It has now been discovered that deposition of these vitamins and precursors upon skin can be substantially increased by the inclusion of meadowfoam oil or derivatives thereof within the composition. Such delivery is through an emulsion and provides an additional skin feel benefit through the presence of the oily emollient in the composition.